Target and The Walt Disney Company is partnering with Julie Andrews (actress, singer, and children’s author) for the inaugural launch of National Princess Week, beginning April 22 and running through April 28. National Princess Week will celebrate the sparkle and imagination of every princess—real, aspiring, or imagined.

The event coincides with the 10-year anniversary of The Princess Diaries, starring Andrews and Anne Hathaway. Target and Target.com will feature an array of Disney Princess merchandise, from apparel, toys, and books, to CDs, movies, personal care items, and stationery. The week will also highlight the newest release in the “The Very Fairy Princess” children’s book franchise, The Very Fairy Princess Here Comes the Flower Girl!, co-authored by Andrew’s daughter and writing partner, Emma Walton Hamilton, and published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

New Products

Marvel’s Ant-Man is still going strong in theaters, and so is Disney Consumer Products’ (DCP) and Marvel‘s Ant-Man product collection. The lineup includes costumes, construction sets, action figures, and more from licensees such as Hasbro, LEGO, Funko, Hot Wheels, Rubie’s Costume Co., and Uncle Milton.

Skechers USA Inc. has partnered with Jakks Pacific Inc. to launch a new line of dolls based on Skechers’ popular Twinkle Toes character. The initial launch includes four unique dolls that stand 6.5 inches in height, and are dressed in colorful, fashion-forward outfits and light-up Skechers Twinkle Toes shoes.

LeapFrog Enterprises Inc. will release three new preschool toys—the Number Lovin’ Oven and Scout’s Build & Discover Tool Set, which offer pretend play experiences that teach math and measurement, respectively—and the Word Whammer, a phonics game that prepares children for kindergarten in an active way.

Now available from VTech, Flipsies combine traditional role play with collectible dolls and accessories, as well as VTech’s proprietary MagicPoint interactive technology. The line offers a variety of ways to play and has eight introductory themes that encourage girls to be anything they want to be, whether it’s a doctor, a marine biologist, a teacher, [...]

Merchantwise, ITV Studios Global Entertainment’s appointed licensing agency in Australia, has announced strong toy and DVD sales, as well as a host of new licensing and retail partners, for the TV series Thunderbirds Are Go in Australia.